West Michigan Nice is a phenomenon that has intrigued people in this region - and beyond - for decades. In 2016, Oprah Winfrey herself visited Grand Rapids to engage in a dialogue with West Michigan residents about WMN and our community’s deep political divide. While the concept of West Michigan Nice… this special brand of niceness that this community portrays, may seem pretty straightforward and harmless at first glance…. in this episode, we unpack the roots of this cultural problem and uplift the narrative justice work that will transform community and move the Black freedom struggle, and other freedom struggles, forward. 

In this episode, you will hear a conversation between Shayna Marie and Rodney Brown, president of Grand Rapids Media Initiative & Film Incubator. GR-MiFi is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing racial equity through narrative justice. By the end of this episode, you will hear historical context about how we developed this “WMN” culture through the lens of a powerful narrative called “A City Within A City” by Todd E. Robinson.

Thank you for shifting the narrative and reaching beyond bias!

For more information visit: https://linktr.ee/reachingbeyondbias